Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Spirit of a Viennese Salon Comes to Charleston

Chamber music has always been a form of classical music best
enjoyed in an intimate setting amongst a gathering of friends.As the Romantic style of composition
blossomed in the early 19th century, musical salons - gathering
of people under the roof of an inspiring host - became the format of
choice to enjoy music.Franz Schubert
enjoyed tremendous success with such gatherings, inspiring the formation of
“Schubertiades” as information gathering held in private homes to celebrate his
music.Such evenings could also include
poetry readings, dancing and other social activities.As the home to such great composers as
Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Strauss, Vienna became the epicenter of such
musical occasions.

On Saturday, November 9 Chamber Music Charleston will bring
this spirit of a Viennese Salon to Memminger Auditorium through a program of
exquisite Romantic music.The evening
opens with an ode to the “Schubertiad” through a performance of Franz Schubert’s
“Shepherd on the Rock.”Schubert wrote
this work for the unusual instrumentation of Soprano, Clarinet and Piano upon
the request of legendary soprano Anna Milder-Hauptmann (the creator of
the role of Leonora in Beethoven's opera Fidelio).Considered one of the composers most popular
songs, Schubert never had the opportunity to hear the piece performed, as he
died only weeks after completing the work.

Chamber Music Charleston’s soprano
Suzanne Atwood will be joined by CMC clarinetist Charles Messersmith and guest
pianist Andrew Armstrong for the performance.

Following the Schubert, we welcome
guest violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti to perform two selections for violin and
piano solo.Ms. Moretti is an
accomplished, award-winning chamber musician, solo artist and teacher who is
currently Director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer
University in Georgia.She selected a Romance by Amy Beach and another Romance by Laura Netzelto perform for audiences on November
9.Laura Netzel was a Swedish composer,
pianist and conductor who lived from 1839 to 1927 and Amy Beach was an American
composer and pianist who lived from 1867-1944.Ms. Moretti has become a champion of the frequently under-appreciated
female composers of the Romantic period, and the beauty of these two Romances will be a perfect compliment to
the other works on the program.

Amy Beach (left) and Laura Netzel (right)

The
evening concludes with Robert Schuman’s Piano
Quartet in E Flat Major.The work
was written in 1942, his “Year of Chamber Music” – a period of time in which he
composed three string quartets, a piano trio, piano quartet and piano
quintet.A beautiful work of unabashed
romanticism, the piano quartet is full of virtuosic passages, soaring melodies
and passionate climaxes.

Robert Schumann

These concerts at
Memminger have become a yearly highlight in Charleston, pairing exceptional
music with food, wine, and decor. You can choose table seating in front of the
stage (with the option to purchase a Bistro Box filled with culinary
delicacies) or raised theater seating, all with excellent views. Wine is
complimentary with table seating but available for purchase by everyone.